Hello from Belgium this time,

There's a moment in the third chapter of Past Mistakes where Emily and Raymond find themselves in a room beneath a homeless shelter in the Bronx, standing in front of something that has no business being there.

It's a small stone sarcophagus. Ancient. Covered in inscriptions. And whatever is inside it has been there since the middle ages, patiently waiting for someone to make a mistake.

This is one of the images I made to try to capture it.

One of the things I've enjoyed most about writing this book is the collision between the very old and the very new. Demons and homeless shelters. Blood magic and coffee. A greater demon bound to a self-taught exorcist who learned everything she knows from stolen grimoires and hard experience. Emily's world is recognisably ours, just with something deeply wrong underneath it.

The cover is done. I approved it yesterday, and I'll show you properly in two weeks once the marketing materials are ready. I'm fairly pleased with it, which from me is high praise, but I'm no cover expert so what do I know?

If you're new here and haven't met Emily yet, the prologue to Past Mistakes is available free. It tells you everything you need to know about her in eight pages.

Read "A First Time for Everything"

More soon.

Nick.

This Week's Giveaway

A collection of science fiction and fantasy novels, short stories, prequels and other giveaways. A lot of content, and something for everyone.

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Author Spotlight

Two authors for you today. The links below are to tfree material you can get to read if you sign up for a newsletter. As it happens, the first of the two is in a similar genre as my novel, which is a bonus.

Fragile Little Songbird by Winter Branford

Angels and demons walk among humans, protecting them from themselves and each other.

But some humans want their power. Wren and her father had been minding their business when an explosion of hellfire from a botched ritual summoning killed dozens of people, including Wren's father. Wren herself only survives because of an angel's blessing in the form of a golden feather. It's too bad it catches the attention of demons.

Wren never wanted to be part of the supernatural world, but humans dragged her into it anyway. She only wants to recover from the explosion, but demons have sniffed out her angel's blessing and want it. They come after her for it, especially a woman named Leona.

How far will the demons go for the feather? Can Wren even protect herself from them when they're so much stronger than her?

Click to go to "Fragile Little Songbird"

Last Ember of Azrith by Rowan Ashborne

An empire’s betrayal sparks a daring alliance. Destiny burns in the fight for freedom.

Kaelan, a half-dragon warrior, keeps to the shadows of Azrith, hiding the dangerous power of his dragon blood. Elira, an elf princess and rebel leader, risks her life to fight against the empire from the inside. When they meet in a fierce tournament, they start as rivals but leave as allies.

Now, Kaelan and Elira must work together to survive the empire’s lies and protect the people they love. If they don’t unite, the empire will destroy them both—and all they care about.

Kaelan battles to control his dragon power, while Elira rallies her people. As ancient forces awaken, they prepare for a final clash against the empire's army.

Bound by fire and fate, they must reclaim Elira’s kingdom. They must spark hope before darkness consumes Azrith. The war for freedom starts now—will they rise, or will the flames consume them?

Read "Last Ember of Azrith"

Thanks to those of you who responded to last week's email, and as always, see you in two weeks.

Thanks for reading!

Nick.

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